Caps for nurses or the like



1965 E. BERG 3,221,345

CAPS FOR NURSES OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. J

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVE OR. ZZai/ve w a QM flfi'vvzy Dec. 7, 1965 E. BERG 3,22

CAPS FOR NURSES OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 &

ZZ zjggwon do W72? 6/ BY @W ffZZZrazay United States Patent 3,221,345 CAPS FOR NURSES OR THE LIKE Elaine Berg, Chicago, Ill. (Box 220, Crystal City, Manitoba, Canada) Filed Aug. 28, 1963, Ser. No. 305,043 1 Claim. (Cl. 2-198) The present invention relates to caps for nurses and the like, and is particularly concerned with an improved cap having an artistic appearance and a simplified construction, and which is adapted to relieve the nurse of the burden of laundering and starching caps of the type now worn by nurses.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a cap for nurses which may be returned to its original white condition by merely spreading out the elements of the cap in plan extension and wiping or cleaning the surfaces thereof with an art gum block, or with a cloth dipped in a suitable solvent or cleaning agent for removing dirt, stains, etc., without laundering or starching as must be done with the prior art caps worn by nurses.

The maintenance of white laundered caps for nurses is a very great burden to all who wear them and occupies a great deal of time on the part of every user. It is customary for many nurses to launder their caps at the end of every day, so that the caps will be ready for use for the next work day. Each nurse tries to have several spare caps.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a cap for nurses made of sheet material having a minimum amount of structure which may be manufactured at a low cost, and which has the necessary rigidity to maintain its rectangular shape, and having the same white finished appearance as a laundered cap, but constructed of other material, such as a plastic sheet material, which may be cleaned at any time by merely spreading out the cap in a flat condition and using an art gum block, or wiping with a clean cloth, or by actually washing the cap with soap and water, or wiping the cap with a small amount of solvent without the burden of laundering and starching it.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved cap which meets all the requirements of the hospitals and institutions such as caps which may be made two tone or three tone where required to agree with the uniform. As this is mainly a matter of appearance, black stripes, a red cross emblem, a blue cross, or any emblem may be imprinted on the cap and the cap may be made of any color or combinations of colors. The material preferably used in making the caps is on the market being sold under the trademark Perma Starch, by Emil Kauflman Son, 370 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY.

Other object and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the two sheets of drawings accompanying this specification,

FIG. 1 is an open plan view of the blank of sheet material used in forming the cap;

FIG. 2 is a similar view of the cap blank, creased and folded inward flat upon itself at both ends with the lower edge being the front edge of the cap;

FIG. 3 is the bottom plan view of the folded blank of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the cap folded for storage or shipment;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the cap folded for storage or shipment;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of a cap for nurses assembled in shape to be worn;

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FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the same taken from the right of FIG. 6 with the other side being identical;

FIG. 8 is a rear elevational view taken from the rear of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a rear elevational view with the parts assembled in an alternative way;

FIG. 10 is a bottom plan view taken from the bottom of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 6 on a larger scale;

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 7 on a larger scale;

FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 8 on a larger scale;

FIG. 14 is a view similar to FIG. 9 on a larger scale;

FIG. 15 is a view similar to FIG. 10 on a larger scale;

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary view showing the texture and surface finish of the plastic fabric of which the cap is constructed; and

FIG. 17 is a modification of FIG. 6 having an auxiliary stilfener on the inside.

The present nurses cap is distinguished from the prior art starched caps by being constructed of White sheet plastic material of the type used for plastic white window shades, and having a texture and surface finish like a closely woven fabric such as linen as shown in fragment in FIG. 16. The cap is also distinguished by its trim and artistic rectangular shape being square at the top and sides where the cap is visible when worn by a nurse.

Thus the blank 20 has a central body portion 22 defined by two front to back creases 23, 24 which are eventually right angle bends 25, 26, as shown in FIG. 6. The blank 20 has a front upwardly and backwardly folded crown portion 27 which is rectangular and is joined to the body portion 22 along a crease 28 which eventually becomes a backwardly bent fold at 29 along the front edge of the cap giving the cap a finished appearance at its front edge which increases the rigidity of this part of the cap, especially after the side portions 30, 31 in FIG. 6 are bent down at right angles along the front to back creases 23, 24 at the upper corners 25, 26.

This right angular construction is in marked distinction to the laundered caps of the prior art in which the upper outer corners are curved gradually due to the starching which would immediately become dirty at any starched crease. The square shape of the front of the present caps gives them a more smart and trim appearance and a more definite square shape than the round cornered starched caps of the prior art.

Each side portion 30, 31 of the blank 20 is bordered by a doubling flap 32, 33 along a crease 34, 35 and the doubling flaps are bent downwardly and back on the side portions 30, 31 to increase the thickness and rigidity. The flaps 32, 33 lie flatly against the side portions 30, 31 in FIG. 3 giving this part of the cap more body.

The rear part of the blank 20 in FIG. 1 has a slightly tapering, rectangular back flap 36 joined to the body 22 along a crease 37, and the crease 37 is eventually bent down at right angles at the rear upper .corner 38 and the back flap 36 may assume any curved shape to join the side flaps 30, 31.

The rear edge of the back fiap 36 is creased along a line 39 forming a doubling flap 40, which is folded backward and downward, in FIG. 1, to form FIG. 2, with a rear attaching portion of greater rigidity and strength on the back flap 36.

The rear edge 41 of the blank 20 is indented at 42, 43 with an acute angle slightly rounded, and the rear edges 41, 44 of the side flaps 30, 31 extend diagonally, laterally, and upward in FIG. 1. The purpose of this shape is to remove excess material between the side flaps 30, 31 and the rear flap 36.

When the side flaps 30, 31 are folded over flatly against the body in FIGS. 4 and 5 with the back flap extended, the caps are ready for storage or shipment. The side flaps and back flap are provided with holes 45, 46, and 47 punched in a rectangular form to receive any kind of fastening device such as a collar button or a brass headed flat staple indicated at 48. For purpose of identification, the pointed side flap extensions in FIG. 6 are numbered 49 and 50 and the assembly of the cap is done as follows:

The folded cap as shipped is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and it is only necessary to move the sides 30, 31 upward from the plane of the drawing in to right angle position shown in FIG. 6 where the sides 30, 31, extend downward at right angles. The back flap 36 is then bent upward in FIG. 4 from the plane of the drawing to the position of FIG. 8 where the back flap 36 extends downward, and the side flaps 49 and 50 are drawn together at the back and overlapped with the back flap 36. These three flaps,

49, 50, 36, are secured together by a collar button or a brass head staple having a pair of bendable legs either in the manner of FIG. 8 or of FIG. 9.

A plurality of holes 45, 46 are provided in flaps 49, 50, and 36 to permit adjustment of size, two of which are shown in each flap, but any number of holes may be provided. The brass head, two legged brass staple is preferably arranged with the head inside to prevent the staple from tangling with the hair of the wearer.

In FIG. 8, the back flap 36 is arranged behind and outside the side flaps 49, 50 but in FIG. 9, the side flaps 49, 50 are assembled outside the back flap 36 and either of these alternative modes of assembly may be used.

Thus, it will be observed that the cap has a top crown 27 of suitable width folded back on the body and lying flat on the body 22 when the side flaps 30, 31 are bent down at right angles to the crown 27. The parts of the crown are drawn together tightly when the cap is assembled to increase the rigidity of the assembly.

When the rear flap 36 is secured to the side flaps 49, 50, the square shape is accomplished in FIGS. 6 to 9 and FIGS. 11 to 14, and the square, fiat bodied shape makes the design more trim and attractive.

When the cap is made of plastic, it can be cleaned by wiping it with a damp cloth or with a solvent, and special attention may be given to the folded edges of the cap in cleaning it. For cleaning, the cap may be spread out in plan and the cap may be made of any material, even any white fabric, such as linen, silk, eambric, or the like, provided it is white. Such a white cap may be laundered and starched and creased and folded, as shown in the drawings, but laundering involves much labor, which may be saved by making the cap out of plastic, such as the plastic fabric like material which is used in making plastic white window shades. Art gum may also be used as an eraser for cleaning such a cap.

It will thus be observed that I have invented a cap for nurses or the like having an improved construction and which is equally adapted to be folded for storage or shipment or unfolded and assembled with a minimum amount of labor. The present cap may be laundered and starched but it may also be made of plastic fabric having the appearance of a woven fabric in which case it is easier to clean without starching. and laundering.

Referring to FIG. 17, this is a view similar to FIG. 6, but including a rigid stiffener 60 of rectangular shape on the inside of the cap, The stiffener 60 is formed of a rectangular piece of'sheet material bent at right angles inside the corners 25, 26 and extending across the inside of the top 22 and down the inside of the side flaps 30, 31 into the U-bend at the bottom of each side flap, 30, 31 at the U-bend of the doubling flaps 32, 33, which clamp and secure the liner or stiffener.

In FIG. 17, the U-bend at the bottom of each side flap 30, 31 is made with the doubling flaps 32, 32 sufliciently spaced from the sides 30, 31 to receive the lower edge of the liner or stiffener which extends from front to back and is the same length front to backas the side flaps.

The liner or stiffener 60 may be made of cardboard or indurated fiber, white in color for a throw-away lining, or it may be made of transparent or white plastic suchas Lucite preformed with right angle bend-s at the top fitting in the cap.

While I have illustrated the preferred embodiments of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A nurses cap comprising a plane blank of sheet material forming a rectangular body portion, said body portion having a central body portion, a pair of parallel front to back creases bounding said central body portion, side portions being supported at each edge of the central body portion, each side portion having at its outer lateral edge, a narrow doubling flap turned back against each of the side portions for stiffening the side portions at their lower edges, said central body portion and side portions having at their forward edges, a crease at right angles to the front and back creases of the central body portion and side portions, said last mentioned crease supporting a backwardly bent fold at the front edge of the cap, which is'rearwardly folded closely against the central body portion and the side portions, said central body portion having at its rear edge a crease at right angles to said pair of parallel front to back creases, a back flap supported by said last mentioned crease, said back flap being folded downwardly to form the rear of the cap, said side portions each having a diagonally and rearwardly extending rear edge forming an outer rear corner with each of said side portions, and each side portion having a plurality of apertures at each of said outer rear corners, said back flap having an aperture adjacent its rear edge, said side portions and back flap being provided at said apertures with a through faetener holding the back flap and said portions including said doubling flap in substantially rectangular form.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,223,854 4/1917 Cutler 2-198 1,247,415 11/1917 Lattirnore 2-200 1,668,331 5/1928 Mullinix 2198 X 2,655,969 10/1953 Brady et al 22953 X 2,728,085 12/1955 Berg 2-197 X JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. G. H. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner. 

